I came across this article discussing how cloud computing has the potential help/hinder the IT department and industry. The author, Stuart Kippelman, poses the question, “What if the cloud becomes the primary data center and SaaS is the only way applications are sold? Will there be a need for an IT department?”

In my opinion, I do believe that cloud computing will impact the IT department, but I don’t believe it will go away. Jobs will certainly move, however IT organizations will still be there, just in a different capacity. As an example, customer data storage could be outsourced to the cloud, but the analysis and use of that data will still be the job of internal staff.

So, do you think that cloud computing will kill the IT department? If so, how so?

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well seeing as IT departments probably spend less than 30%* of their time working on servers and 150%* of their time in implementation and planing or helpdesk and break\fix...i fail to see how cloud will reduce IT.

*yes i made up the percentages

IT manage more than servers...you have client computers. applications and software, network, implementation, and proprietary business needs.. IT is about the Safest field i can think to work in. even if the entire world is automated...we maintain and implement that automation...

I agree with Z-Ethan. There's always going to need to be people to maintain the technology and servers/datacenters are only one very small part of what an IT department actually manages. Programmers, technicians, network admins, pen-testers, etc. will be in as much demand as ever, especially since technology has become second nature to humans. Proclaiming the death of the IT department due to the advent of cloud computing would be like telling an emphysemic she doesn't need her pulmonologist anymore after she's gotten a portable oxygen concentrator. Actually, if anything, the advent of cloud computing should spurn some growth in IT departments and the technology industry as a whole.

The new technologies afforded by cloud computing are awesome, and there's going to be a pressing need for capable staff to manage, maintain, troubleshoot, and develop for the next generation of information technology. It's an exciting time to be a geek!

I came across this article discussing how cloud computing has the potential help/hinder the IT department and industry. The author, Stuart Kippelman, poses the question, “What if the cloud becomes the primary data center and SaaS is the only way applications are sold? Will there be a need for an IT department?”

THen half of us will work in SaaS management and integration and the other half will work for SaaS vendors :)

Outsourcing IT services frees us up to focus on other priorities. We still need to support the service and plan for it's failures.

With our lighter load, IT can shift to a business asset. Depending on your industry, having an IT department that can quicly react to customers needs means that your company is more valuable. The company you work for produces products or services. IT should be able to assist the customers by providing services in the form of data feeds, portals, or whatever.

Just because they can successfully send an email from their smartphone, doesn't mean that they have the right skills to do anything and most certainly not create an IT strategy. Even if they decided to only make use of cloud computing, that's just a small aspect of the whole thing; there are so many other aspects to running a successful IT provision.

I work on the basis that there are 2 types of IT people; the "Knowledge Workers" who consume IT as part of their role rather than managing it. The other type are the IT professionals who are the sysadmins, technicians, programmers and managers that make it all function.

There will aways be a need for the IT Pro level as all that happens is systems move from one location to another. They still need to be managed. The Knowledge Worker's role may change regularly, but I suspect that they will always be needed. The big issue is that there needs to be a third category; a set of roles that will allow the business to get the most from their investment; and that needs people with different skills to those that most IT workers currently have.

IT constantly changes; and we change with it. Those that change their skill sets to meet needs will always find work; those that don't may find that they get left behind.

Users will still need me to hit the spacebar for them when power management kicks in and says "no signal" on the monitor. *sigh*

It is getting easier. No spacebar on iOS/Android devices. End users are getting more self-sufficient with easier to use devices, while more computing (running applications) becoming browser based apps so more apps are fit for simpler devices.

Cloud will not exterminate IT, but it will force IT to adapt. Cloud, despite its promises, is still a work in progress. Companies such as Dropbox and Amazon have faced cloud outages, which require IT support. Even with SaaS, IT would still be needed to for support, maintenence, and consultation. IT, despite having technology at its center, is still a people business. IT departments will be needed to guide and train companies to face the new challenges Cloud and Big Data pose.

What about small businesses that see no benefit from outsourcing their IT? Small businesses that use IT equipment until it can't be replaced? Or have a lot of specialized software where hosting the software would cost more to implement than having it in house? I do work for three such companies.

What about small businesses that see no benefit from outsourcing their IT? Small businesses that use IT equipment until it can't be replaced? Or have a lot of specialized software where hosting the software would cost more to implement than having it in house? I do work for three such companies.

Never heard of a company in such a position. The smaller you get, the more outsourcing becomes the only cost effective option.

@Scott no I am a regular employee, part time. I would be interested in how i could host a specialized app that communicates to machines through serial ports.

Specialized hardware is very different than specialized apps. That's a bit misleading. No matter how special and niche the app, hosting is fine.

That being said, serial is fine too. You might have thought you were tricking me with that but I work for Niagara Technology Group which actually got its start as a specialty SaaS company making partially serial communications apps for the medical industry. We've been a SaaS hoster for our own apps for that market since 1999 when we tackled the "serial over the web interface" problem. It takes a little more ingenuity but it really isn't a problem at all. There are multiple ways to handle it depending on the need. But we've had that in production for fourteen years, 24x7. Millions of serial over SaaS transactions.

Tricking you, no I really don't have time to play those i know more than you games.
I have never really looked into a way to host an app that connected to a device through serial. So my question was genuine. Sorry for stepping on your ego.

Tricking you, no I really don't have time to play those i know more than you games.
I have never really looked into a way to host an app that connected to a device through serial. So my question was genuine. Sorry for stepping on your ego.

I don't think he was taking it that way. Scott is...well, Scott. But his point is valid and you were not correct in your statements. I'm sorry but just admit it and you'll be fine.